


One in Five

by seekeronthepath



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, Mental Health Issues, bitty's vlog, talking about mental health
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:23:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14042169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekeronthepath/pseuds/seekeronthepath
Summary: Bitty has a chat with the boys about something they don't normally talk about





	One in Five

_The video is shaky - a camera on someone's phone, maybe. Far from the usual quality on the omgcheckplease channel. The setting is different too. Long-time viewers might be able to identify it as the living room of the Haus, with Bitty standing in front of the TV. Long-time viewers would also be able to recognise the determination on Bitty's face, even through the discomfort in his posture._

 

"Hey y'all," Bitty said, looking over the audience nervously. "I wanted to...well, I thought we ought to talk about this. Cause I was talking to Jack the other day, and he's right, no-one...no-one talks about mental health in sports. And we should. So here's...hockey shit with Bitty, I guess."

 

[]

 

Biting his lip, Bitty made himself keep going. "We all know about one in four. That's five or more of us that are queer. But, well...for college students, it's one in five who's got a mental health problem. Depression or anxiety or PTSD or an eating disorder...chances are there's at least four of y'all who are, well, not having all that great a time some of the time."

 

[]

 

"Well, first of all, I want y'all to know that this isn't the kind of team that's going to shame you for it. Understood?" He looked around the room sternly. "And if anyone on the team  _does_  say something like that, y'all can come to me about it. We've got your back, and that's true when you're having a bad day as much as it is when you get in a fight on the ice."

 

[]

 

"Secondly, I want y'all to know a little something about what does and doesn't help. Therapy helps a lot of folks, and there's free counsellors on campus. So does medication. Looking after your body helps, but on bad days it's hard. Sometimes you just need a little comfort. But what definitely  _doesn't_  help is folks sticking their noses in and telling you to just 'get over it'. Sometimes, you just can't. And you know it's irrational, that you can't cheer up, or calm down, or maybe even get out of bed, and someone else telling you so...well, that really doesn't help."

 

[]

 

"And maybe..." Biting his lip, looking uncomfortable, Bitty went on. "Maybe you've felt like this for a while. Maybe you're...used to it. It's normal, right? To have days where you can't really feel anything, or to not be able to breathe when you get scared, or for the future to seem impossible. Except, it's not. It's not normal. And it's kinda scary to think about that. But...we've got your back."

 

[]

 

_The video cuts to Bitty in his normal set up, the camera steady._

"Hey y'all," he said, his usual smile dimmed. "I didn't even know the boys were filming, but, well, they persuaded me that I oughta post this, so..." He shrugged. "See y'all in a couple of days, I guess."

**Author's Note:**

> A quick piece inspired by a conversation I had recently


End file.
